Enemies of ChristEnemies of Christ

Alma 30,31Alma 30,31

Orson F. Whitney . . . was a great man to concentrate. One day when he was traveling by train, he was so preoccupied that he did not notice the train pass the station where he was to get off. So he had to [be driven] back to where he should have been. Meanwhile the stake president waited and waited. . . .

Finally when he decided that something had more than likely happened to Brother Whitney and he was not going to make it, they commenced the meeting. As Elder Whitney approached, he was greeted by the opening hymn, which was "Ye Simple Souls Who Stray"

First half of the Book of AlmaFirst half of the Book of Alma

What was Mormon teaching us here?

Alma 5-16Alma’s missionary work

Alma 17-28Ammon’s missionary work

Alma 29Oh, that I were an angel…

Alma 32-35Alma’s missionary work

Alma 30Korihor, the Anti-Christ

Alma 31The Zoramites

THE FOILS

How would you How would you define “anti-Christ”?define “anti-Christ”?

The word antichrist is the Bible term for the false teachers in the Church who taught a false Christ instead of a true Christ. the Greek preposition anti, roughly translated, means instead of.

It also carries the meaning of "face to face" or mirror image. The image in the mirror, looking back at you, is face to face with you. It looks like you. Yet it has no substance. It is a counterfeit of you, in a sense. It only appears to be you.

Two types of Anti-ChristTwo types of Anti-Christ

Non-Religious:Korihor

Religious:Zoramites

Were they really that different?Were they really that different?

Korihor Zoramitesfoolish traditions of your fathers

I say ‘this people’ are in bondage

every man prospered according to his genius

caused them ‘to lift up their heads in their wickedness,’

childishness of their fathers

“Thou hast elected us to be thy holy children;”

every man prospered according to his election

they did pervert the ways of the Lord

The ZoramitesThe Zoramites

Alma 31“had gathered themselves

together in a land which they called Antionum”

“were dissenters from the Nephites”

“they would not observe to keep the commandments of God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses.”

The The Rameumptom, Rameumptom,

Alma 3113 For they had a place built up in the center of

their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person.

14 Therefore, whosoever desired to worship must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch forth his hands towards heaven

What do we learn from the prayer?What do we learn from the prayer?

Alma 31:16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we

do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ.

17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.

18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.

King SolomonKing Solomon

1 Kings 11:7

4…when Solomon was old… his wives turned away his heart after other gods: …

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess…, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab

President BensonPresident Benson"The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of

Christ.  It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention.  It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. 

The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today.  God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat philosophical concepts of our time." 

We must remember-

Today’s anti-Christ is not just a critic of Christ

They are a replacement for Christ

Modern Anti-ChristsModern Anti-Christs

TV and Movies

Popular music

Business

Politics

Ministers who deny the atonement

Ministers who make church about them

Those that refuse to help the poor

Those who use church for their own goals

Non-ReligiousAlternatives?

Religious Alternatives?

Elder Carlos E. AsayElder Carlos E. Asay

When we read about the anti-Christs of former days, we marvel at how perverted their thinking became and we marvel at how successful they were in deceiving men and women. We also wonder why some of the people were so gullible—so easily misled.

And with all this marveling and wondering, we tend to niche the anti-Christs in some corner of ancient history and go about our unguarded ways. This is dangerous. It could result in loss of faith; and, in a spiritual sense, it could put us out of existence. . . .

"Many anti-Christs are still among us. . . . These faith-killers and testimony-thieves use personal contacts, the printed word, electronic media, and other means of communication to sow doubts and to disturb the peace of true believers."

President KimballPresident KimballMay I say again: when you include in the gospel plan of Christ the family,

there is nothing else in all the world worth bothering with. Everything else is incidental only.

Assume that you become the world leader of Socialism and in it have marked success, but through your devotion to it you fail to live the gospel. Where are you then?

Is anything worthwhile which will estrange you from your friends, your Church

membership, your family, your eternal promises, your faith?

You might say that such estrangement is not … a result of your political views, but truthfully hasn't your overpowering interest in your present views already started driving a wedge?